Stabilizing device for cigarette packaging machines

ABSTRACT

A stabilizing device for cigarette packaging machines in which cigarettes to be packed are transferred in rows from a first stationary container to each of a plurality of containers movable by means of a conveyor system, each movable container having a base and an opening at an end opposite the base, wherein the movable containers are arranged in line for intermittent movement past the first container. The device comprises a stabilizing arm having a step in a surface adjacent the second container, which step defines two stabilizing surfaces. The step has a dimension which is equal to a whole number multiple of a diameter of the cigarette to be packaged. The stabilizing device is arranged to be intermittently movable with the movable containers, and also movable between a first operative position in which the surfaces define, with at least some of the bases of the movable containers, a space for occupation by a row or rows of cigarettes and a second inoperative position spaced from the second containers, the first operative position coinciding with movement of the containers.

United States Patent Seragnoli 1 Feb. 15,1972

[54] STABILIZING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES [72] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Ariosto Seragnoli, Bologna, Italy 22 Filed: June 12, 1970 21] Appl.No.: 45,881

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 23, l969 Italy ..l672 N69 [52] US. Cl ..198/24, 198/35 [51] Int. Cl ..B65g 47/08 [58] Field of Search ..198/24, 35; 53/148450, 236

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,435,940 4/1969 Seragnoli ..198/24 Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka Attorney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [57] ABSTRACT A stabilizing device for cigarette packaging machines in which cigarettes to be packed are transferred in rows from a first stationary container to each of a plurality of containers movable by means of a conveyor system, each movable container having a base and an opening at an end opposite the base, wherein the movable containers are arranged in line for intermittent movement past the first container. The device comprises a stabilizing arm having a step in a surface adjacent the second container, which step defines two stabilizing surfaces. The step has a dimension which is equal to a whole number multiple of a diameter of the cigarette to be packaged. The stabilizing device is arranged to be intermittently movable with the movable containers, and also movable between a first operative position in which the surfaces define, with at least some of the bases of the movable containers, a'space for occupation by a row or rows of cigarettes and a second inoperative position spaced from the second containers, the first operative position coinciding with movement of the containers.

6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB 15 I912 3.642. 1 12 sum 2 OF 3 STABILIZING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to stabilizing devices for cigarette packaging machines in which superimposed layers or rows of cigarettes are assembled before being received in cigarette packets, and more particularly, to stabilizing devices which are adapted to stabilize the position of the cigarettes during movement thereof during assembly of the various layers or rows.

Cigarette packaging machines are known in which stations are provided, and arranged in a side-by-side and spaced apart relationship, there being as many stations as the layers comprising the cigarette assembly to be provided. The cigarettes are arranged to be received by containers mounted on a conveyor device which moves each container intermittently past all of said stations. Means are provided for simultaneously transferring a single cigarette layer from each of said stations to the container respectively dwelling thereat so that, as each single assembly is completed at the end of the successive dwells for the corresponding container at all of said stations, at each dwell a complete assembly is provided.

As well known, the conveyor device and the stations to which the conveyor device carries its associated container in order to receive the corresponding cigarette layer are so arranged in a mutual cooperative relationship in this type of machine that the movement of the conveyor device for carrying said containers from one to a next station occurs in a direction transversely of the cigarette axes, wherein the cigarettes are arranged in a parallel, side-by-side configuration within the respective containers according to the layering position thereof, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,435,940 and 3,520,394.

It is also known that, practically, the assembling of superimposed multilayer cigarettes in successive steps by the above machine gives rise to many drawbacks resulting along the entire packet cigarette conditioning line, that is both of the forming stations for said cigarette assemblies, where they mainly appear as discontinuities in the regular cigarette flow to said stations, and to a larger extent at the downstream region where they give rise to frequent changes in the cyclic course of the operating steps of the normal conditioning process.

Thus, it is established that during movement of the conveyor device for carrying the containers from one to another station for receiving the corresponding cigarette layer, the cigarettes will move from their normal side-by-side position, aided by the generally cylindrical configuration thereof and the mutual contacting position thereof along a generatrix, thus giving rise to the above drawbacks, particularly when the above steps are carried out at a high-operating speed, such as when supplying cigarette conditioning packaging machines operating at a high-unitary output speed, of the type for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 721,525.

More particularly, it occurs that the cigarettes lying within the containers according to the side-by-side and single layer mutual longitudinal contacting arrangement thereof, particularly at the acceleration and deceleration steps of the conveyor device during its intermittent or stepping movement to carry said containers to dwell successively at all the delivering stations of said respective single cigarette layers, will alter the respective parallel position thereof by rolling to one another and/or on one another, arranging in such a manner as to hinder the reception of the next layer within the corresponding container. Thus the cigarettes become superimposed according to an incorrect arrangement which is the cause of all of the above-mentioned drawbacks and, therefore, the failure in the continuous suitable operation of these superimposed layer cigarette assembling machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a main object of the present invention to completely avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks, assuring the stability of the side-by-side and mutual longitudinal contact arrangement of the cigarette according to the respective single layer(s), at low-feeding speeds also at high-feeding speeds for the conveyor device in its successive stepping movement and resulting forming movement for the assemblies to be supplied in a rapid succession to high-unitary output conditioning packaging machines.

It is a further object of the present invention to assure stability for the cigarettes at the side-by-side and mutual longitudinal contact arranging position thereof within the corresponding container during movement of the conveyor device in its feeding by successive steps in order to carry its associated containers to subsequently dwell at the cigarette layer delivering stations; and, to retain said cigarette layers at their containing position in the containers while carrying them from one to the next station by a stabilizing member which is movable from a retaining and carrying position to an inoperative or releasing position for said cigarette layers and for returning to the initial or inoperative position by moving through a looper path.

According to the present invention a stabilizing device for cigarette packaging machines in which cigarettes to be packed are transferred in rows from a first container to each of a plurality of second containers, each second container having a base and an opening at an end opposite the base, the second containers being arranged in line for intermittent movement the first container, comprises a stabilizing arm having a step in a surface adjacent the second containers. The step defines two stabilizing surfaces, each at a different distance from the bases of the second containers, and has a dimension which is substantially equal to a whole number multiple of the diameters of the cigarettes to be packaged. The stabilizing arm being intermittently movable with the second containers and movable from a first operative position in which the stabilizing surfaces define, with at least some of the bases, a space for occupation by at least one row of cigarettes, and a second inoperative position spaced from the second containers, the first operative position coinciding with movement of the second containers.

Preferably, the stabilizing arm is elongate and is arranged above and generally parallel with the direction of movement of the second containers for movement in a generally looped path. The stabilizing surfaces may be substantially as long as the spacing between the center distances of alternate second containers.

The means for moving the stabilizing arm preferably include first cam means and a first pivotable lever causing said stabilizing arm to oscillate in either direction about a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of movement of said second containers, and second cam means and a second pivotable lever for causing said stabilizing arm to move forwards and backwards along said horizontal axis, said first and second cam means being phased to one another to cause the stabilizing arm to move in a looped path.

In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of steps are provided in the stabilizing arm, which steps define a series of stabilizing surfaces, the number of stabilizing surfaces equaling the maximum number of layers of cigarettes in the second containers.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front perspective view showing the stabilizing device according to the invention as applied to a machine for forming subsequently individually superimposed multilayer cigarette assemblies;

FIG. 2 is a time-step diagram for the operating cycle of said stabilizing device; and

FIGS. 3-12 schematically show the container conveyor device of the machine and the stabilizing member in various operational positions in the forming course of individual assemblies.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1, a stabilizing device is operationally combined with a cigarette packaging machine as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,435,940 and 3,520,394. The cigarette packaging machine includes a hopper 2 (shown in thin lines), having a plurality of cigarette layer forming and delivery containers 2a, 2b, 2c, the hopper 2 being mounted above and to one side of a multicontainer conveyor device 1. The conveyor device includes a pair of endless chains 4 each extending around opposed sprocket wheels 5. A plurality of containers la are mounted in line on chains 4. Alongside the containers 2a, 2b, 2c there is shown a reciprocable pusher device 3 having fingers 3a, 3b, 30 for transferring layers of cigarettes from the containers 2a, 2b, 20 into containers 1a. Each container la is generally channel-shaped and has a groove 1b disposed centrally of the free ends of each arm ofthe channel.

In operation, cigarettes are loaded into the top of the hopper 2, in parallel, as shown in FIG. 1. The cigarettes move downwardly through the hopper 2 under gravity and pass into containers 2a, 2b, 20. These containers 2a, 2b, 2c are adapted to form a three layer cigarette assembly of 20 cigarettes and for this purpose rows of seven cigarettes are formed in containers 2a, and 20 while container 2b has rows of six cigarettes.

The conveyor device 1 moves intermittently so that containers 1a dwell sequentially opposite the containers 2a, 2b, 20. During a dwell period, the pusher device 3 is operating so that the lowermost row of cigarettes in each containers 2a, 2b, 2c is moved from its container 2a, 2b, 2c by means of fingers 3a, 3b, 3c, into a container 1a. The reciprocating movements of the pusher device 3 and the intermittent feed of the conveyor device are coordinated so as to introduce into each container la three rows or layers of cigarettes, the two external layers having seven cigarettes, and the middle layer having six cigarettes.

The stabilizing device includes a member 6 arranged parallel with the upper side of the conveyor device 1 in line with the grooves lb of the containers 1. The member 6 has a support part 7 mounted on a rotatable shaft 8 parallel to member 6. Shaft 8 is also movable axially and is supported in bearings 9.

A member 10 has two arms extending outwardly therefrom in the same direction, the free ends of these arms being mounted on shaft 8, so as to rotate therewith and to slide relative thereto. A third arm of the member 10 extends in the opposite direction from the shaft 8 and is pivotally connected by pin 11 or any known type of ball joint of the end of a rod 12. i

The opposite end of rod 12 is pivoted by a pin 13 to a lever 14. Lever 14 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 15 mounted in bearings 16 perpendicularly to shaft 8 and to the direction of movement of conveyor device 1 and carries intermediate its ends a roller 27 slidably engaged within a slot 29 in a cam 31 keyed to a driving shaft 33 mounted in bearings 34 parallel to shaft 15.

Two rings 18, 19 are rigidly mounted on shaft 8. Ring 18 has an arm 18a which has at its free end, a roller 20 slidably engaged within an elongate slot 10a in a member 10. A ring 17 is rotatably mounted in shaft 8 between rings 18, 19. The ends of two rods 22 are pivotally connected to pins at diametrically opposite positions on the ring 17. The opposite ends of each rod 22 is pivotally connected to a pin 23, 23a on one arm ofa bifurcated end of a lever 24. Lever 24 is pivotally mounted at its opposite end from the bifurcated end, to a shaft 25 mounted in bearings 26 parallel to shaft 15. The lever 24 carries intermediate its ends a roller 28 slidably engaging within a slot 30 in a cam 32 keyed to driving shaft 33.

The member 6 has along its longitudinal edge facing the containers In on the upper side of conveyor device 1, two steps which defined longitudinal sections 6a, 6b, 6c. Longitudinal sections 6b and 6c are substantially as long as the spacing between center distances of successive containers 2a and 2b and 2b and 2c, respectively, while the longitudinal section 6a extends from station 2a to an ejection station for the complete cigarette assemblies from the corresponding containers 10 on arrival at the ejection station, as explained in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,435,940 and 3,520,394.

The narrowing of the member 6 in steps from section 6c to section 6a corresponds to level increases which are substantially equal to the diameter of a cigarette, or in other words, each step has a height equal to the diameter of a cigarette.

The time-phase diagram is shown in FIG. 2 for the moving members in the course of a machine cycle, that is a revolution of the cyclic'driving shaft which is assumed to be shaft 33 driven by the main machine.

In operation, when the driving shaft 33 is turned through one revolution, it will be seen from FIG. 2 that conveyor device 1 moves during movement of shaft 33 from 0 to dwells during movement of the shaft 33 from 150 to 270 and moves again during movement of shaft 33 from 270 to 360. In this diagram, the thick continuous line sections coinciding with the respective thin baseline indicate in degrees of the machine cycle the times during which the respective members remain stationary while the sections above this baseline indicate the degrees of movement.

Further, during the movement of the conveyor device 1, member 6 also moves from an initial or starting position, driven by cam 32, to its operative position, as controlled by cam 31, for accompanying and retaining the cigarettes at the correct side-by-side position thereof within the containers la (FIGS. 4, 6, 8, l0 and 12), whereas during the dwell of said conveyor device 1 from 150 to 270, the member 6, still controlled by cam 32, moves back to said initial or starting position and, controlled by said cam 31, is raised to an inoperative position (FIGS. 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11).

The cooperative relationship between member 6 and conveyor device 1 is shown in FIGS. 3-12.

FIGS. 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 show the step where the conveyor device 1 is at dwell position and member 6 at an inoperative raised position. In this position, pusher device 3 transfers with its fingers 3a, 3b, 3c the individual cigarette layers from containers 2a, 2b, 2c into the containers la stationary opposite said containers 2a, 2b, 20.

FIGS. 4, 6,8, 10 and 12 show the step where the conveyor device 1 is moving and member 6 is at an operative position for accompanying and retaining the cigarettes at the correct side-by-side position thereof within the containers la.

In FIGS. 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, the cigarettes of the layers being transferred from containers 2a, 2b, 20 into the containers la are shown by dashed lines, whereas because of said containers being spaced apart from one another by two steps of the conveyor device 1, and requiring therefore two passages for carrying a container la from one station to the next, it will be seen that the first regular assembly comprising three layers of 7, 6 and 7 cigarettes, respectively, is completed only at the fifth step, or at the fifth dwell, and successively an assembly is completed at each dwell of the conveyor device.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigarette packaging machine in which cigarettes to be packed are transferred in rows from a first container to a plurality of second containers, each container having a base and an opening at an end opposite the base, the second containers being arranged in line for intermittent movement past the first container, the improvement comprising a stabilizing arm having a surface disposed in face-to-face alignment with a plurality of said bases and adjacent the second containers, said surface having a step therein defining at least two stabilizing surfaces, each at a different distance from the bases of the second containers, the step having a dimension which is substantially equal to a whole number multiple of the diameters of the cigarettes to be packaged, means for moving said stabilizing arm intermittently in the direction of and simultaneously with movement of the second containers and between a first operative position in which said stabilizing surfaces define with at least some of said bases a space for occupation by a row of cigarettes and a second inoperative position spaced from said operative position in a direction away from the second containers, wherein the first operative position coincides with said intermittent movement of said second containers.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizing arm is elongate and is arranged above the second containers generally parallel in the direction of movement of the second containers.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizing surfaces are substantially as long as spacing between the center distances of alternate second containers.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for moving said stabilizing arm comprises means for moving said arm in a generally looped path.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for moving the stabilizing arm includes cam means and a first pivotable lever for moving said stabilizing arm between said operative positions in an oscillatory path to oscillate about a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of movement of said second containers, second cam means and a second pivotable lever for moving said stabilizing arm forwards and backwards along said horizontal axis, and means interconnecting said first and second cam means for phased movement to cause the stabilizing arm to move in a looped path.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of steps are provided in the stabilizing arm, which steps define at least three stabilizing surfaces, the number of stabilizing surfaces equaling the maximum number of layers of cigarettes in the second containers. 

1. In a cigarette packaging machine in which cigarettes to be packed are transferred in rows from a first container to a plurality of second containers, each container having a base and an opening at an end opposite the base, the second containers being arranged in line for intermittent movement past the first container, the improvement comprising a stabilizing arm having a surface disposed in face-to-face alignment with a plurality of said bases and adjacent the second containers, said surface having a step therein defining at least two stabilizing surfaces, each at a different distance from the bases of the second containers, the step having a dimension which is substantially equal to a whole number multiple of the diameters of the cigarettes to be packaged, means for moving said stabilizing arm intermittently in the direction of and simultaneously with movement of the second containers and between a first operative position in which said stabilizing surfaces define with at least some of said bases a space for occupation by a row of cigarettes and a second inoperative position spaced from said operative position in a direction away from the second containers, wherein the first operative position coincides with said intermittent movement of said second containers.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizing arm is elongate and is arranged above the second containers generally parallel in the direction of movement of the second containers.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizing surfaces are substantially as long as spacing between the center distances of alternate second containers.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for moving said stabilizing arm comprises means for moving said arm in a generally looped path.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for moving the stabilizing arm includes cam means and a first pivotable lever for moving said stabilizing arm between said operative positions in an oscillatory path to oscillate about a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of movement of said second containers, second cam means and a second pivotable lever for moving said stabilizing arm forwards and backwards along said horizontal axis, and means interconnecting said first and second cam means for phased movement to cause the stabilizing arm to move in a looped path.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of steps are provided in the stabilizing arm, which steps define at least thrEe stabilizing surfaces, the number of stabilizing surfaces equaling the maximum number of layers of cigarettes in the second containers. 